I predict a 20 point drop for * after MTP

[slor]

the man has shown the world that he is a blathering idiot and does not deserve the title President!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

1. yeah!

Some of us haven't seen MTP yet- any comments on any dumb comments he made?

[imax2268]

2. your probably right...

n/t...

[billbuckhead]

3. Dems in unison should blast Bush's MTP performance

I sense an opportunity to grease the skids under Bush and send his maladministration into a death spiral.

[watercolors]

4. embarssing to watch

I can't imagine what world leaders will think if this is televised around the world! Truley the worst ever . I have a 15 year grandson the can verbally communicate better this bush. What the hell is his IQ?

[tabasco]

29. Truly embarassing.

How could the American people allow this to happen. A mindless tool for the corporate powers. A stuffed shirt with no ideas of his own. Just the type (like Reagan) that the corporate powers love. The only difference between Reagan and Bush is Reagan was a better actor. Both complete idiots.

[IronLionZion]

58. The whole world is laughing at America

because of this bumbling fool. They might fear our "nukular" weapons but they certainly do not respect us or consider us intellectual equals. When conversing with a foreigner on politics, the standard response is that about half the votes went to Bush so that tells you something about Americans.
It's sad really.

[leesa]

64. Something like 83, or 86, based on an estimate a few years ago for

a group of Presidents.

[glarius]

5. He's huffing and puffing and bluffing his way out of office.....(I hope)

The National Guard fiasco....Hahaahah

[Eurobabe]

6. woo, scary indeed

this man is a flippin' class one moron. he's trying to pass off McAuliffe's comments as a slam against "national guard service," like I said, the master at twisting words to make the listener totally confused.

[djg21]

48. this has been a Repuke Talking point sine day 1.

Every brain-dead repuke radio personality I have heard has attempted to spin this as a dem slam against verterans of the Nat'l Guard. What nonsense! McAulliffe should specifically address this and dispense with the argument!

[Eurobabe]

7. oh boy, russert whips out the flow chart

bush-cheney contrasted to inauguration day. "recession started upon my arrival," attacks affected our economy (yet I turned a blind eye and hoped to hit the trifecta)

i can't stomach this.

[Robb]

10. I've only read the transcipt

...but * said something hilarious about, "Now, I'm not going to say this chart only shows the bad numbers...."

:D

[JustAmused]

8. Unbelievable !!!!

He just said that the Viet Nam war was a political war and showed that having politicians making military decisions was not a good idea. My jaw is so sore from dropping I'm not sure I can recover in time to go to work tommorrow...lol.

[leftchick]

15. my husband and I freaking screamed...

over that one! I had to leave the room....

[glarius]

9. This interview is a MAJOR blunder on his part...he's coming across devious

and like the fool he is!

[GumboYaYa]

13. Every answer to every issue defies reality.

This is amazing. Can you believe he just said "I care more about the guy looking for a job" so he won't agree to no more tax cuts for his rich buddies? That shit will not play with the average America. He is making the same mistake his father did; acting like the economy is great when people are looking for work.

Stick a fork in Bush, he's done.

[Fixated]

11. 20 point drop?

That would require that 20% of the population who doesn't already hate Bush actually watches Meet the Press.

[imax2268]

12. it's to bad

that people believe in this fool...

But you know...those right wingers will say that Russert was being to hard on him when this is over...just watch...

[MoonRiver]

30. It's not those people who will fry *'s arse.

Middle Murikans who thought * was a just good ole boy, like them, and who don't get a friggin' fart about the rights of fetuses or being able to purchase machine guns, but find themselves out of work, uninsured, and and about to be sent into harm's way for Halliburton, are gonna take this chump down.

[Karenina]

46. ESPECIALLY when they realize

he was too stoned to even show up at his cush job in the military for a YEAR! The *smirking shirker was *aWol!!! Psst... pass it on.

[Malva Zebrina]

14. Stump speaking

inarticulate and spinning lies--lies lies--con man personified--Russert doing not a bad job. Using the talking points--says the economy is beginning to recover--he is more concerned about people getting a job--stimulates the economy with tax cuts--I don't know how strong the enonomy is going to be--he just said the economy is recovering--he is campaigning--making a campaign speech--acting is obvious--stuttering a lot He has a lie ready for everything--he is going to cut the deficit in half in five years--the deficit he caused, although he tried to blame it on Clinton, 9-11, and Saddam simuiltaneously.

I hope, I hope hope some dem will call him on every lie he has been spouting off here. Does Kerry have it in him

Avoided the AWOL question on why do you not release your records. Says he showed up and the records are in Colorado.

[glarius]

16. See he knows exactly where he wants to lead....to make the world a better

place.....I THINK I'M GOING TO SCREAM.....OR MAYBE LAUGH!!!

[guajira]

17. B* Has a Vision for The Country" Aaaarrrrrhhhhh!! Help!!

This bumbler is blaming everyone and everything else but himself!! When asked why he is a divider not a uniter, he says it's the environment in Washington!!

He showed absolutely no emotion during this interview!! This guy is no more than a managed zombie!!

[barbaraann]

18. The look on his face when he said "I'm not going to lose" was

one of total, absolute certainty.

We are in deep, deep trouble.

[still_one]

22. MTP

Haven't seen meet the press yet, but saw ABC "This Week". Boy were they bashing the Democrats and Kerry. This is going to be a very hard fight if the media takes everything bush says as gospel, and questions everything the Democrats say.


A big Democratic turnout is essential or this country will be changed for the next 30 years...

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. He was so sure and smug about that one

I guess he knows his friends at Diebold have things all taken care of with their hackable voting machines.

[Jazzgirl]

52. I noticed that look too barbarann.

Scary indeed. The fix is in.

:puke:

[heidiho]

19. I could only stomach a little but I agree

he came across as the idiot asshole that he is.

Just plain dumb!

[MoonRiver]

20. He really looked and sounded bad.

Russert hammered away and AWOL could barely contain his demonic rage. Pretty much said in a very threatening way that even though his policies have been proven incorrect and aren't working, he WON'T change.

[LincolnMcGrath]

21. BUSH:

I'm NOT GONNA LOSE TIM. :tinfoilhat:

[dusty64]

23. I couldn't watch,

should I actually regret not watching the chimp. I'm getting the impression it wasn't the complete whitewash we had been expecting. I am beyond surprised if true. Could the media ho's be seeing the writing on the wall?

[DAGDA56]

24. I tried to look at this as a Freeper might...

you know, finding the best things when watching a losing effort...being an Orlando Magic fan helps...but I could't see any good coming out of this from a wingnut viewpoint...as others here have said, he is coming across as stupid, disjointed or simply incapable...it will be interesting to see what snippits the hard news shows choose to use.

[melv]

26. in his ear

there was definitly a wire in his ear, surely with Rove on the other end. Notice how he would pause and listen for a minute before answering particularly tough questions? The man can't be trusted to answer "correctly" even by his own people!

[DoYouEverWonder]

27. Most people, even freepers

don't like a smartass and that is exactly what W was this morning. Smirking and chuckling about every problem. Notice how his face really lit up everytime he said the word war? He just loves death and destruction. You can tell it really makes his day whenever he hears about another dead Iraqi or American soldier.

[melv]

28. "I'm a WAR President"

Oh I loved that one. I can see his disapproval rating going up, up...

[FlashHarry]

31. Wow. Bush is going down in flames.

This is bad. By which, I mean, this is good.

[markus]

32. I respectfully disagree

He may have hesitated a few times, but I never saw him lose his cool.

He's out there rebuilding our economy and protecting us from evil doers.

That's the impression I think less engaged voters will take away from it.

I predict a bounce, putting him dead equal with Kerry and getting him back to or just over 50%.

For my views on why, visit here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1096550

[FlashHarry]

33. He's stuttering and defensive. It won't play well to swing voters.

Brainwashed GOPers won't change their minds, of course.

[markus]

39. But its the answers he gets out (eventually) that sell

Americans are uncertain. Will I keep my job? Will I get a job? Was Iraq the right thing to do?

Americans are looking for political comfort food, which I think Kerry represents to large number of nomination voters and caucusers. Bush represents the same for the block Nixon called the "Silent Majority."

I think this dynamic will change in unpredictable ways in the next nine months, but right now I think Bush made no major mistakes, got his spin on everything Russert through at him.

I think Russert gave a good performance as a journalist, but at the end repeating a question you feel wasn't answered isn't good enough. You repeat it once, for affect, then restate it, possibly tossing in more evidence that the interveiwee isn't being entirely honest. It's the well honed 60 Minutes approach.

Russert didnt' go there, so Bush got in large part a free ride. There was nothing to upset his base. There was nothing (except tossing up the chart) to dissuade the-ever-dwindling-set-of-real-swing-voters. He didn't follow up hard on job creation. Bush promised over 2 million jobs. They're not here.

As a former campaign press secretary, I can confidently spin this one that my guy one. Russert needed to knock him off his pedestal, and didn't do it. People Bush's* manner. They identify with him, and are willing to forgive him the occasional stutter or splurt. The American People heard how Bush is protecting them at home and abroad, and won't waiver in the face of nay-sayers and doom peddlars.

You and I may not buy that, but it's a saleable message. Look for it on a TV set near you later today.

[FlashHarry]

41. It's funny--Ed Gillespie said...

...countering the charge that Bush only looks out for millionaires, "he did extremely well with low-income whites with no college education." Which I totally believe. These are the people we'll never convince. They and the super-rich. However, this country is still very much divided, politically speaking, with a large proportion of 'swing voters' in the middle. Unless we have another 9/11 (which, God forbid, may 'happen'), I think the swing voters will think twice before voting for Bush a second time.

[susu369]

54. Excellent take

agree with your assessment 100%, Markus.

[teach1st]

35. I agree

We see a bumbling liar, but not everybody will. The people who want to believe Bush will find his attitude and answers reassuring. A regular guy, a strong President who will do what he says about confronting the evil ones.

The lies have to be confronted continuously and loudly before more than 50% will feel as we do.

[anti-NAFTA]

36. He's not sounding "cool". he's sounding like an idiot puppet dictator

he can't even answer questions. he needs to keep repeating the "terrorism is evil" mantra to get away with it.

[Malva Zebrina]

44. you may be right

people may perceive Russert as picking on him and come to his defense.

But, more and more people are becoming engaged. I have never heard so much politics being discussed in my town before and Bush is the target of people's rage. There will be more written and more discussed, as we get nearer and nearer the election so more people will be aware.

These are the times when a forceful measured repsonse refuting every lie Bush tells is needed and I hope that Kerry has that in him and doesn not avoid any opportunity to do so , immediately after Bush utters lies and tries to reinvent reality. I hope he can do that because an immediate rebuttal is necessary to stop the harm Bush is doing by trying to reinvent history to suit his war and warmongering.

[Hamlette]

51. I hate to say it but Bush did okay

which for him is "hitting it out of the ballpark". Expectations are so low for Bush if he doesn't drool everyone loves him. We just didn't get a good sound bite from this one. To me he looked very sick, to people who don't already hate him, he looked limited but sincere. Dang.

I predict the interview won't change anyone's mind but what happens is up to how the press portrays it. If the sound bite is "I'm a leader" or "I'm not going to change my beliefs because of polls or what Europe thinks of me" he's okay.

Still, he's too far into this "war" to ride it back into office. It's the economy stupid. Unless he can create 1 million jobs between now and Nov he's not going to win.

[Fla Dem]

57. It was a wash......

I tried to watch shrub's performance as dispassionately and objectively as possible. I hoped it would be a slam dunk, that Russert would box him in and he'd either blow his top, or get really ruffled. But, I have to say except for a couple of weird statements, like " Vietnam was a political war", or "I must of served my full time because I got an honorable discharge", or I want every "American looking for work" (does that mean he wants every American out of work?), I didn't detect anything major that will be a big negative headline tomorrow. Even his hemming an hawing will be interpreted as someone thoughtfully thinking through his answers. This won't effectively hurt him, but probably won't gain him back anyone he's lost in the last couple of months.

[snippy]

61. I agree. But since this was done to help Bush I see it as a failure.

[uncle ray]

77. he came off terrible

i guarantee those short pauses are actually much longer...remember this was a pre-taped interview. they left just enough to bait us, so we know how poorly he was responding, they didn't leave in the "let me finish!" many times for no reason. russert gave us just enough to keep eroding bush*s numbers without destroying himself in the process.

he lofted out some fairly predictable tough questions, which is more than we expected, and let bush*s crappy responses stand for what they are, there was no need for him personally try to ruin bush in one interview, this is more like political chess.

consider a point or two a week in the polls progress! we all know this is going to be the ugliest campaign ever, it won't happen overnight, but bush* can be defeated, every week, thats one or two percent of the people that see the truth, and start telling their friends...

[LincolnMcGrath]

34. Remember how TimWhore attacked BC?

"THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!

[0007]

37. I'm watching it now

junior just brought up Chalabi as a source of creditability for a Iraq democracy.

I fell out of my chair laughing, was a Sunday morning!

[Frank_Person]

38. If I were a Repuke I would hang myself!

Dis-friggin-sgusting!

Not a bad job by Timmy though, considering.

[gauguin57]

40. i hear will ferrell

on SNL when I listen to this clown. Nuke-u-lar, nuke-u-lar, peninshular, peninshular.

The man was a threat ... click ... the man was a threat ... whirr, click ... the man was a threat.

"Again, I know I'm sounding repetitive ... at the risk of repeating myself ... "

However, he is not letting Russert push him around (or even get in a followup). He puts up his big chimp paw and says, "Let me finish!"

Russert should just be hammering, hammering, hammering about the LACK of ANY proven connection between 9/11 and Iraq! Make him answer THAT to our satisfaction. Half the country truly believes there was a connection because they were lied to about it. I want Bush to EXPLAIN this to all of us!

[Toots]

42. Did he throw in his famous line ~ "I Trust the People"?

If the Florida election accomplished nothing else it proved that lie in Bold Print. During the recount he made the statement "We can only accept machine counted votes because machines are objective while people are subjective." Actually it was his mouth piece Jim Baker but it was all one and the same and still is. They trust only machines and not people out of their own mouths.

[Eroshan]

43. Shit I did not know

that highways were considered an entitlement program. I just heard him say that while trying to defend his budget. Actually Russert went after him more than I thought he would. I've got my barf bag handy.

[59millionmorons]

45. Mr. Bush why are you so disliked at home and around the world

PRICELESS

What a good way to end this hour.

[KG]

47. he's been a blathering idiot his whole life.

why should this interview influence anyone now?

[Neecy]

49. a real lie-fest

What struck me watching this parade of lies is how much * looks more and more like Pat Robertson. The same pointy ears, the same sunken-neck-to-the-chin, the same bobblehead effect.

What the media needs to do is deconstruct this interview and point out the lies, the finger-pointing, the result of his wrong-headed decisions. This will never happen. Expect this to be spun, instead, as a huge victory for the puppet.

[Kahuna]

50. Maybe not 20 pts. But a definate drop is in order...

He is a cynical weasel who is morphing into Pat Robertson. :puke:

[nolabels]

53. I predict if the whore corporate media helps install * one more time

It will be the end for them also. My other guess this will be the last time * goes anywhere without pre-scripted and unrehearsed questions being asked before the general election

[monarch]

62. What makes you think that

it was not scripted and rehearsed?

[nolabels]

72. My mistake, I think your right, it probably was

Maybe I was thinking when they do retakes in movies, when screw up their lines and get off script. Seems amazing that they don't do that on MTP yet. I didn't watch the thing I was only reading the reaction from the rest of the DU collective and posters.

[snippy]

55. Not 20 points but Turd Blossom Rove is going to be disappointed.

Bush's performance was neither extremely strong nor extremely weak. Consequently, it will have no impact on committed Bush supporters or committed Bush opponents. However, since it was not particularly impressive, it probably will not alter the current trends in the minds of the rest of the public either. Those trends are unfavorable to Bush.

A 60 minute interview with any president of the United States should be impressive. This interview was not. Bush smiled, smirked or chuckled during every answer to every question on every topic. He did not seem to be particularly well informed. He had few facts to support any of his assertions. He seemed somewhat detached and bemused. He was almost overwhelmingly unimpressive. The failure to be impressive was a failure to persuade uncommitted voters.

[NWHarkness]

56. MSRNC is spinning it as a B

They are claiming that Russert asked all the tough questions and Bush handled them all just fine.

Hard to imagine how bad he would have to be in order to get a failing grade.

[davsand]

59. Remember the debates in 2000?

He was stinking up the joint and still got handed a "debate win" from the press whores. I agree that it is difficult to envision just HOW bad bush would have to do to get handed failing marks on one of his outings. I'm thinking he could fart spasmodically and spew split pea soup and he's still be hailed as a good outing...

Laura

[Jack_Dawson]

63. You CAN'T be serious

He was AWFUL. I hate Bush and I was embarrassed FOR him. Lemme guess...Noonan's on praising G Dub's "Presidentialness"??? Is there ANYONE on MSRNC speaking the truth?

[ignatius]

60. Why did Tim allow him to keep lumping 9-11 and Iaq war

together..there is no evidence of that..why did he let him get by with saying we used the same intel as the rest of the world..the rest of the world voted to give the UN more time to find the "non-existant WMD's.

His smirk, even when explaining to the parents why he sent their kids to die, never left his face. When he was talking about shadowy groups, I too thought of Poppy, his branch of the CIA, and Cheney.

When he talked about the success in bringing together nations to contain N. Korea, I wondered why Tim didn't mention the fact that under the Clinton administration they WERE contined, had surveillance cameras on their nuclear activities 24/7 and only dismantled them after they were named as part of the axis of evil in Chimpys SOTU address.

This was a soft interview letting Bush get off with more bullshit rhetoric.

[liberalpress]

65. Just been contacted...

by republican friends just GLOATING over how well he did....

[Jack_Dawson]

66. That is PROOF freepers are simply less intelligent

than the rest of us. What interview were they watching? I saw the one of Bush hemming and hawing, blathering, bumbling and stumbling.

[snippy]

68. This interview was not done to persuade partisans.

It was done to persuade undecided voters and stop Bush's decline in the polls. I do not think it did. A 60 minute interview in the Oval Office with any president of the United States should be impressive. This interview was okay but not impressive.

The bounce Bush gets in the polls will tell the tale.

[SammyWinstonJack]

71. Makes me glad I don't have any republican "friends"

:bounce:

[Pikku]

67. Was he wearing a wire?

It seemed like he was looking down to his left while answering questions. Was he listening to someone?

EDIT: sorry, melv, didn't see your post up there. It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks this. :/

[liberalpress]

69. Didn't see the interview..

...but if the interviewer was not at the White House... (or even if he was) Bush may have been wearing an IFB. Often a lot of chatter on those things.. distracting if you're used to it... or in Bush's case don't have a brain to stop some of the information

[DemLikr]

70. You overestimate the intelligence of the American people

and you underestimate the stubborness of same.

[tableturner]

73. Everyone who watched knows he lied and evaded!

Oh come on, anyone, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent, knows the facts and the questions at hand by now. And anyone, after having heard the questions and answers, knows he outright lied at least a moderate number of times and he evaded throughout the hour. Most people are not so stupid, when a specific question is asked and then the response is a rambling statement not addressing the question, that they are unable to realize that he did not in fact address the nexis of the question. Being able to do that only requires a listener to remember the question for the 30 or 60 seconds that Bush gives his obfuscatory non-answer. It was too too obvious for people not to have been able to ascertain that.

And there is a time bomb awaiting either defusion or explosion that will go a long way toward assessing Bush's performance in the interview and whether he was helped or hurt by it. I am referring to his plainly stated pledge to release his pay stubs and tax records to prove his Natiional Guard service. While some parts of the answer on the AWOL issue were not so plain, the component where he promised to release those records WAS plain. He outright said he would do so and no matter what he and his people say later, if he does not do so, and I mean if he avoids specifically and openly releasing those pay records and tax returns, there will be no way to spin out of it. Either Bush knows something we don't, or he has been cornered and has made a huge mistake. However, it was inevitable. There is no way, with the renewed wide debate, that the specific questions that Russert asked could have been avoided at some later point. Either his pay records and tax returns show that he served during the time in question or he is nailed!

They will never admit it, but even Republicans know he lied a moderate number of times and evaded throughout the interview. Again, they will just never admit it, but they know the obvious truth.

[buycitgo]

75. you're correct in your analysis of what he said, but the MEDIA

will do their best to put a positive spin on it, igoring the contradictions and lies, EXACTLY as Russert did.

OReilly claims to inhabit a no spin zone

Boosh inhabits a NO FOLLOWUP Zone

[buycitgo]

74. exactly. and MORE Importantly, underestimate the craven complicity

of the media.

didn't read rest of thread, so I'll bet this has been addressed.

recall the debates, and how the evidence of his complete ineptitude/mendacity was belied by the media's portrayal of him as an effective debater, when not concentrating on Gore's ungentlemanliness, the color of his skin, etc.

they'll prop him up as much as possible.

EVERY single pundit I've seen, from Schieffer to several idiots on Faux and CSPAN have attested to Russert's "toughness," also calling him "the best there is!!!"

never underestimate the combination of venality/reality disconnect which holds the media in thrall.

just wait and see what a success this embarrassment will be portrayed.

[tableturner]

76. The media said he did well on the SOTU...

Immediately after the SOTU a few weeks ago, the media said he did well, but in spite of this, the public disagreed and the poll results show it. I'm telling you, the people (even, and especially, the vast middle group of voters) no longer trust Bush to tell the truth and they are not deaf! As with the SOTU, the media spin will not affect the perceptions of the public. Plus, I have seen some not so great media spin relative to Bush's performance, much more negativity compared to the SOTU.